Kata seminar invitation
Does anyone know these sensei?Rate Topic:

Today I received an invitation to attend a seminar next year, given by two representatives from the Kodokan.
Since I have several seminars to attend in that period already, I will have to make some choices now.

The people inviting me are very enthousiastic to learn from 'the Japanese', but there have been discussions in the past about the fact that not every sensei at the Kodokan seems suited to learn specific kata from. Therefore I would like to ask people who might know them, about their qualifications on specifically Kime no kata.

The representatives are:

mr. Suguru Yano sensei, 6th dan
mr. Makota Katada sensei, 8th dan

Can anyone tell me more about them, regarding this kata? Or any overall specialisation?

And yes I know, every seminar is usefull... But I would like to estimate specifically wether attending this one is more usefull then attending some of the others.

Before we try and dissect the kata knowledge and instructional skills of these two sensei, some more "strategic" questions to ponder perhaps to assist you with your decision:

- Do you plan to travel to the Kodokan to study some kata?

- Will you ever again have the opportunity to learn from Kodokan sensei?

- Is having taken some instruction from a Kodokan sensei important to you?

Hope this helps.

- Do you plan to travel to the Kodokan to study some kata?
I hope to, one day, but that will not be in the near future I´m affraid.

- Will you ever again have the opportunity to learn from Kodokan sensei?
Probably yes, since every other year, people from the Kodokan are invited to teach in Holland.

- Is having taken some instruction from a Kodokan sensei important to you?
Not because the ´magic word Kodokan´ is attached to them. Only in combination with the word ´skillfull´ in what I would like to learn. It would be very interesting to learn from people as close to the source as possible, but I have also seen myself, sensei from the Kodokan of whom I do not believe I have a lot to learn from...... And that is not because MY level is so high..... That is exactly why I am asking this question.

Can anyone tell me more about them, regarding this kata? Or any overall specialisation?

Prof. Suguru Yano, still 6th Dan? Anyway he`s teaching at Wakayama Univ. after graduation from Tokyo Gakugei Daigaku. If I`m correct, he was a member of the editorial group to make Japanese - English Judo Glossary, must be around 50 y/o. So I assume he must be fluent in English. His Kata? Well, being a professor specializing in Budo(judo), I`m sure he knows Kata well enough.

Katada-sensei, as far as I know he`s from Keishicho - Tokyo Metropolitan Police. 3 years ago, he was one of the two sensei to teach Koshiki-no-Kata (20 sessions). I met him last night at the Kodokan. He demonstrated at the Kagami Biraki last year(?) Koshiki-no-Kata. He`s big (for a Japanese) but very modest and kind.

It sure would be a nice experience, but depending on the kata you want to learn, there are in the meantime good people in the netherlands. Strongest kata is no doubt Kime-no-Kata!

Thank you for your reply.

Kime no kata is in fact the one I am most active in atm, but their schedule in Holland does not fit in with mine. I will not be able to attend that one altogether.

In principle I might be able to attend their nage no kata though. It is however almost a two hour drive for only a two hour course ( it is in Roermond FYI ). Driving for 4 hours is not a problem, but I would rather have it worthwile.

And there are indeed many people here in Holland whom I can learn from, however I had my share of experiences with that recently . I am now, again, aware that there is no such thing as a correct form of kata, so that is not really what I am looking for. I just want to learn, so I need people who are at least able to seriously explain what they are doing. If these arguements are acceptable for me personally, is another thing, but only watching some people doing 'their thing because that is the way it is supposed to be done' does not cut it for me anymore. That is why I asked.

Prof. Suguru Yano, still 6th Dan? Anyway he`s teaching at Wakayama Univ. after graduation from Tokyo Gakugei Daigaku. If I`m correct, he was a member of the editorial group to make Japanese - English Judo Glossary, must be around 50 y/o. So I assume he must be fluent in English. His Kata? Well, being a professor specializing in Budo(judo), I`m sure he knows Kata well enough.

Katada-sensei, as far as I know he`s from Keishicho - Tokyo Metropolitan Police. 3 years ago, he was one of the two sensei to teach Koshiki-no-Kata (20 sessions). I met him last night at the Kodokan. He demonstrated at the Kagami Biraki last year(?) Koshiki-no-Kata. He`s big (for a Japanese) but very modest and kind.

You won`t be dissapointed!!

Thank you too for replying.

Please be aware that I only copied some information from the leaflet I got. Not sure that it is 100% accurate!

Your description sounds good to me, so I will now seriously consider to attend. It depends on some other factors though, but it seems worthwile now!

Please be aware that I only copied some information from the leaflet I got. Not sure that it is 100% accurate!

Your description sounds good to me, so I will now seriously consider to attend. It depends on some other factors though, but it seems worthwile now!

Here's a pic of Katada-sensei teaching another kata clinic abroad a couple of years back,

and here's one from 2009 as a partner to Satô Tadashi-sensei in the Kôshiki-no-kata lecture during a Kôdôkan Summer Kata Course:

"The world is a republic of mediocrities, and always was." (Thomas Carlyle)"Nothing is as approved as mediocrity, the majority has established it and it fixes it fangs on whatever gets beyond it either way." (Blaise Pascal)"Quand on essaie, c'est difficile. Quand on n'essaie pas, c'est impossible" (Guess Who ?)"I am never wrong. Once I thought I was, and that was a mistake."

Hey, you know what they say ... "if it ain't Dutch, it ain't much." In the Netherlands anyway ... they say that.

Lol, if we would say that, then we would ofcourse say it in Dutch. But then it would not rime....
Even more so... you could not be more wrong.... most of us are not really impressed with our Dutch standard compared to others. Perhaps not even a fair statement, but that is how most of us are. We do have a saying: 'what comes from afar, is always better'.

So are you going or not? I think you will learn something and I would not compare Dutch kata instruction with Kodokan kata instruction at all if Chris de Korte is sill in charge of standards in the the Nederlands.